1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flat image display apparatus used as an apparatus for displaying characters or images as a display, a message board, or the like used for a television receiver or a computer, among some others. The invention also relates to a vacuum container provided for the flat image display apparatus, and a method of manufacture therefor as well.
2. Related Background Art
The flat image display apparatus has advantages such that the apparatus is not bulky when set up in a room or the like, its appearance is good, and it is compact to make the required operation efficient when incorporating it in various kinds of equipment. This apparatus is, therefore, utilized as an apparatus to display characters or images as display, a message board, or the like used for a television receiver or a computer, among some others. Further, with a higher set-up freedom, it is practiced to hang up the apparatus on the wall or set it into the ceiling or the like.
In the recent years, there have been produced and used as the flat image display apparatuses which utilize electron emission, such as the surface conduction electron-emitting display (hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9cSEDxe2x80x9d), not to mention the field emission display that utilizes the field emission of electron.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view which shows a vacuum container to illustrate the conventional example of the SED, that is, one of the flat image display apparatuses described above.
In FIG. 12, a reference numeral 101 designates the face substrate that mounts thereon a phosphor 104; 102, the rear substrate arranged to face the face substrate 101, which mounts thereon the electron-emitting device 105; 103, the outer frame arranged between the face substrate 101 and the rear substrate 102; 107, the frit glass that forms a closed container by adhesively bonding the face substrate 101, the rear substrate 102, and the outer frame 103; and 106, the vacuum container which comprises the face substrate 101, the rear substrate 102, the outer frame 103 and the frit glass 107. The inner pressure of the vacuum container 106 is the vacuum of as high as 8xc3x9710xe2x88x927 Pa or less, and the high vacuum is maintained by the provision of the getter members which are not shown.
The specific technologies and techniques of the flat image display apparatus, and the vacuum container described above are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-235255 and others.
The outer frame 103 is vacuum sealing means together with the frit glass 107. Then, it also serves as means for regulating the distance between the face substrate 101 and the rear substrate 102. Currently, it is demanded to make the substrates, such as the face substrate 101 and the rear substrate 102, thinner still in order to lighten and thin the flat image display apparatus more. However, the utilization of a thinner substrate may lead to the lowered robustness of the vacuum container 106, that is, the vacuum container 106 is subjected to a greater warping due to its own weight eventually. As a result, there is a need for the provision of facilities to carry the vacuum containers 106 more carefully at the time of manufacture, which inevitably leads to the higher costs of manufacture.
In order to secure the robustness of the vacuum container 106, it is required to make the frame width of the outer frame 103 wider, among some other measures.
However, if the outer frame 103 should have a wider width, the coating of the frit glass 107 tends to become uneven, thus inviting the generation of air bubbles in the interior thereof when the vacuum sealing is executed uniformly with the adhesive bonding using the frit glass 107. As a result, there occurs the slow leakage of vacuum or some other drawback. Such drawbacks may result in the problem of the lower production yield.
With a view to solving the problems discussed above, the present invention is designed. It is an object of the invention to provide a light weight, and highly robust vacuum container having a good sealing function.
In order to achieve the object, the vacuum container of the present invention for a flat image display apparatus comprises a rear substrate having an electron-emitting device mounted thereon; a face substrate arranged to face the rear substrate, having thereon a phosphor emitting light when the electron emitted from the electron-emitting device collides therewith; and an outer frame arranged between the face substrate and the rear substrate. For this vacuum container, the outer frame is provided with a plurality of frame members.
Also, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the outer frame portion is provided with a first frame member enclosing the electron-emitting device, and a second frame member enclosing the first frame member, and the first frame member, the face substrate, and the rear substrate surround and form a first imaging space, and the first frame member, the second frame member, the face substrate, and the rear substrate surround and form a first interframe space.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the outer frame portion is provided further with a third frame member enclosing the second frame member, and the second frame member, the third frame member, the face substrate, and the rear substrate surround and form a second interframe space.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, getter means is arranged in the first interframe space.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, getter means is arranged in the second interframe space.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, a cut-out structure is provided for the first frame member, and the imaging space and the first interframe space are continuous.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the imaging space and the first interframe space are independent.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, a cut-out structure is provided for the second frame member, and the first interframe space and the second interframe space are continuous.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the first interframe space and the second interframe space are independent.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the cut-out structure is a cut-out groove.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the cut-out structure is a gap.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, a part of the plural frame members is an air-tight frame.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, a non-air-tight frame is provided for the inner side of the air-tight frame.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, getter means is provided for the inner side of the air-tight frame.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, non-air-tight frame is provided for the outer side of the air-tight frame.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the plural frame members are glass.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the plural frame members are frit glass.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the sectional shape of the plural frame members is substantially square.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the electron-emitting device is a surface conduction electron-emitting device.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the electron-emitting device is a field emission electron-emitting device.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the frame member is a frame member formed by bending a substrate.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the frame member is a frame member formed by bending a hot drawn substrate.
Further, for the vacuum container of the present invention described above, the frame member is a frame member formed by bonding a plurality of substrates.
Also, for the method of the present invention for manufacturing the vacuum container described above comprises the steps of arranging the face substrate and the rear substrate to face each other in a vacuum atmosphere; arranging the plural frame members between the face substrate and the rear substrate; and bonding the face substrate, the rear substrate, and the plural frame members.
Also, the flat image display apparatus of the present invention comprises the vacuum container described above.